Nutritional Support for IVF treatment

In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment is a very clever bit of medical technology which offers couples who are unable to conceive naturally, the chance to have a baby which is biologically theirs.  Sadly IVF treatment does have quite a low success rate despite the media attention it gets (which results in couples often having unrealistic expectations)! Bear in mind though that even a healthy, fertile couple has only a 20 to 25% chance of conceiving per menstrual cycle when trying to conceive naturally.


Take care of yourself:- Tip number one is to keep hydrated!


The best thing you can do when undergoing IVF treatment is to look after yourself.  Do this by doing things you enjoy and possibly partaking in methods of relaxation that you know work for you.  If you haven't found something that works for you then try different things like meditation, acupuncture, reflexology, reading a book, going to the movies, or going for a country-side stroll!  Unfortunately going through IVF treatment is a very stressful time.  Counselling can help and allowing yourself to have a good cry can be therapeutic too!

There is much you can do nutritionally in order to support your body while under significant stress (like during an IVF treatment cycle).  My first tip is to ensure that you are drinking sufficient filtered or mineral water during your IVF treatment cycle.  Water ensures that the nutrients required by your reproductive organs are transported to where they need to be and helps get rid of excess toxins.  It also helps your body to metabolise fat so is important for weight management.  You should be drinking about 1 and a half litres per day (more if you are also drinking caffeinated tea and coffee or if you are active and/ or spend most of your day near central heating).  Try and drink most of your water between meals (excess water intake at mealtimes dilutes digestive juices which are needed to break down the food we eat).

During an IVF treatment cycle, your body is exposed to fairly high levels of synthetic hormones.  Sufficient water intake may help to prevent a condition called Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation as water helps the body to deal with excess hormones and toxins more efficiently.

Try this:

Water can be boring on its own so add some lemon to it for extra refreshment.
Try herbal teas.  Peppermint, fennel and lemon and ginger are my favourites!
Dilute fruit juice with water (I am a fan of the bottled, flavoured "This Water")
Fruit and vegetables contain a lot of water so increase your intake of these (6 to 8 portions per day).
Carry a bottle of water with you at all times, this will remind you to drink more!

See my website for more information on how Nutritional Therapy can help!

www.nutristudio.co.uk